1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to field dressing game and more specifically to a field dressing attachment for a hunting knife, which allows a hunting knife to be adapted for dressing game.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
When an animal such as a deer has been harvested by hunting, it needs to be field dressed to remove the internal organs. This is normally done within a few hours of the animal being harvested. However, there are times when the animal is not recovered immediately and therefore cannot be field dressed, until it is recovered, which could be the next day.
The process of field dressing an animal requires cutting open the abdomen in order to remove all of the internal organs. In order to cut open the abdomen the hide and abdomen muscle tissue must be cut along the entire length of the abdomen. The process of cutting open the abdomen can be difficult and result in possible injury to the person performing the process. During the process of cutting open the abdomen, it is very easy to accidentally cut open part of the intestinal track and/or stomach wall. This happens because these organs build up digestive gas very quickly after the animal is deceased and are under pressure to expand. When the abdominal cavity has been partially cut open the internal organs will start to protrude from the cut in the abdomen, as the result of the gas pressure in the internal organs.
It is common practice for the person performing the field dressing to use a hand and/or fingers to help try to compress the intestines or stomach and move them out of the way. However, this can be very difficult in low light conditions and often results in either a puncture of these organs or a laceration to the hand or finger of the person performing this process. When the intestines or stomach are punctured the digestive fluids will leak out into the chest cavity of the animal. When this happens, it is very common for bacteria to grow very rapidly in the chest cavity, especially in warm weather conditions and can result in the loss of usable meat from the animal. Furthermore, the bacteria can cause a laceration on the finger or hand to become infected or result in the possible transmission of disease from the animal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,920 to Montgomery discloses a knife with retractable point protector. U.S. Pat. No. 6,964,100 to Musland discloses a knife guard. U.S. Pat. No. 7,874,235 to Dittly discloses a game field dressing safety tool.
Accordingly, there is a clearly felt need in the art for a field dressing attachment for a hunting knife, which allows a hunting knife to be adapted for dressing game; is firmly and positively retained relative to the hunting knife with a hand; and does not allow a user to injure himself during use.